GLENSIDE, Pa. – A
Sofie Ancona (Grosse Point Farms, Mi./Saint Clair Shores Saints) goal with 3:31 in left in regulation would prove to be the deciding factor in the Hood College women's ice hockey team's 3-2 win over Middle Atlantic Conference foe Arcadia.
Inside the Box Score
Ancona scored twice, including the game-winner.
Ella Phillips (Midlothian, Va./North American Hockey Academy) scored a goal and notched an assist.
Maggie Grijalva (Fullerton, Ca./Anaheim Lady Ducks AAA) made 31 saves in the win.
How it Happened
It would take nearly three minutes for a goalie to be tested in the game, but Grijalva knocked away the first shot on goal with ease, allowing Hood to get some offensive zone time after being on the back foot. After a bit of a slow stretch, Arcadia got a chance late in the first after a pair of penalties had the Blazers on the penalty kill for most of the final five minutes of play. Grijalva stopped every shot that came her way though, keeping her team even with the host Knights at the end of the first.
Hood would manage to kill off the remainder of the penalty to start the second period, and a
Dakota Ormiston (Scituate, Ma./Portsmouth Abbey) clear would evade the sticks of two Arcadia players and lead to a 2-on-1 for the Blazers, which Ancona would finish for the first goal of the game.
They would again use the momentum of a penalty kill, this time halfway through the period when Phillips jumped on a wide open rebound in front of the net to double Hood's lead.
The Knights would not go down easily though, with another Blazer penalty shortly after eventually leading to a goal for the home team as they managed to cut Hood's lead to 2-1 before the end of the period.
After a hot start to the period offensively, the Blazers had a chance to again make it a two-goal game with a power play just under eight minutes in, but Arcadia would manage to kill it before scoring on a power play of its own a few minutes later, tying the game 2-2 with less than seven minutes to play.
A second Hood power play would hit the ice just a couple minutes after the game-tying goal, and the Blazers made the Knights pay, as Ancona would rip a shot through everyone and past the goalie to give Hood a 3-2 edge with under four minutes to play.
The Blazers managed to get a couple more shots on goal before Arcadia pulled its goalie to try and send the game to overtime, but Grijalva stood tall in goal to hold on for the 3-2 win and an important three points in the conference standings.
For the Opponent
Haylee Kos and Carys Jelley both scored for the Knights
Ava Zoppo made 14 saves in the loss.
Analysis
Arcadia outshot Hood 33-17.
The Blazers went 1-2 on power play opportunities, while the Knights converted just 1-4 of their extra player opportunities.
Arcadia had a 30-19 advantage in the faceoff circle.
Notes
The Blazers improve to 13-2-2 (9-8-2), while the Knights drop to 15-6-2 (13-5-1).
Up Next
Hood will try to stay alive in the conference playoff race as it plays MAC rival Neumann University Saturday, February 14 at 3:45 p.m.
